Street Fighter 3: The Calm Before the Storm
by Hokuto no Jeffro
Summary: The final showdown between Ryu and Gouki is fast appraoching, yet Ryu can barely handle Gouki in his weak form. After the third tournament, Oro has decided to train Ryu, but recurring thoughts of Ryu's past haunt him. To get rid of these thought and reach


Street Fighter 3: The Calm Before the Storm

-Suzaku Castle

Sunlight glimmered through panes of paper, parts of traditional Japanese sliding doors. If one word summed up this area, it was traditional. Shining floors, the result of diligent and careful cleaning. Kata directions written in flowing Hiragana, and boards displaying the motto of the Art: Fu, Rin, Ka, Zan. Into this atmosphere stepped a powerfully built man. Though years could be seen etched in his face, eyes that shimmered with hidden power belied this. Dressed in a torn, yet clean white gi, covered by an equally torn but clean robe, and visible scruff along the chin and face, he solemnly walked toward the back of the dojo. In the back of the dojo, behind another set of sliding doors was a large stone monument. Rosary beads and numerous bouquets of flowers in full bloom adorned the grave. Etched in the stone, it stated:

"Here lies Gouken, a man who sprinted along the Path without looking back."

The hardened eyes softened at this simple display.

"It has been too long sensei. I apologize for not coming sooner."

The individual bowed deeply and sat, legs crossed in traditional meditation form. The kours crawled by as he sat in reverence by the sensei he loved so much. He wished he could stay longer, but he had to go. His training could not wait. As he walked once more through the dojo, he glanced at the many writings upon the wall. These writings were the knowledge of ki, Daoism, Yin and Yang, and the Way. Physical power could only drive a fist for so long. Without beliefs behind it, a fist cannot go far before it breaks. The man stared at his fist, encased in a bright red glove. His sensei had always asked him: "What do you see beyond your fist?" Ryu saw battle, the Way, and the future. Every time he answered with this, Gouken would smile and shake his head. "One day you will understand Ryu."

"Farewell sensei."

Ryu stepped out into a bright courtyard shaded by sakura trees. There sitting under one of those trees was a small man with a golden complexion. He was dressed in a ripped robe similar to Ryu's, and was small and tuat with thin muscle. His eyes glowed red except for the brief moments when they would flash, taking in all nature had to offer. But the most startling feature of this man was the absence of his left arm. The sleeve of his robe was tied in a knot where the arm that did not exist would be.

"Are you ready to leave?"

Ryu nodded and they both set off into the world. On the outskirts of the castle, Ryu got to thinking.

"Sensei, theses years have been very good, and I am thankful for your teaching, but I feel as if I'm not at the level I should be. I can't help wondering what level he is at."

Oro frowned, and replied, "Therein lies your problem. You still do not understand the basis of your Art. You could have chosen Satsui no Hadou, but you didn't. Not just because it was evil, or it was used to kill. The practitioners of the art of Anatsuken viewed the Satsui no Hadou as a way of reaching the end of the Path. In this they were mistaken, and you and your original sensei were right. The way which can be uttered, is not the Way. The name that can be named, is not the Name. To reach the end, you must find a solution that does not exist. You must learn to express something that cannot be expressed, something that is not tangible.

At this Ryu was very confused. "But… that doesn't make sense sensei…"

Oro smiled and said, "This isn't something I can teach. It is something you must find out on your own. If anything it is not the thing at the end that grants power, but the journey itself." Ryu was left pondering this and had to catch up with Oro as they traversed the beaten path.

-Wilds of Brazil

The makiwara. A traditional instrument for training in the Art. A pole made of wood or steel, sometime wrapped with rope. The continual striking of the object would harden the fist and train individuals to make centered impacts when striking. All this was elementary for Ryu, but Oro had something different in mind.

"Yes, I want you to strike it, but not strike it. This may sound confusing, so I will show you."

Oro placed his palm against the pole.

"This is where you will strike."

"But… how will I get any force in the blow?"

"You are still thinking in earthly standards. Your ki allows you not only to create your fancy fireballs, but to transcend the limits of the laws of nature. I myself, at 143, am an example. Now you must practice. Understanding will come in time. I shall watch."

Oro leapt up into one of the tall rainforest trees, and a bubble appeared to be coming out of his nose. So Ryu did what he knew best: train. For hours he trained, trying to force his ki upon the pole. He could feel it reverberating against the pole, yet Ryu was unsure of what his sensei expected of him. Perhaps he was supposed to destroy the makiwara? He probably could with a shinku hadoken, but for that he would need to gather his ki in the horse stance, but he was supposed to channel it from his fist. This made things rather difficult. Plus this was no ordinary training tool. The metal was unknown, harder and more elastic than anything he had ever felt, and was bound by a few inches of wet, tough rope. It would be difficult to break it with anything. The only thing he could do was what his master told him to do. So he hammered away with ki. Exhaustion creeped in between each blow, and by the early hours of the morning he was nearly dry.

"Alright! Now we can begin!"

Oro had suddenly leaped from his resting spot and crept up behind Ryu. After Ryu heard this he collapsed in exhaustion and comic relief.

"If this is when we start, then why did I waste my ki on this for hours?"

Oro turned once more to serious teacher.

"Well my boy, this technique reaches down farther than your known reserves of ki. This is a dire move by all means. The situation must be perfect to use this technique. This will be your weapon to use against the Shun Goku Satsu! At this Ryu was immediately standing.

"You can't expect me to use something on par with that monstrosity do you?"

"No, I do not. This technique is no killer, but it's potency is certainly on par with your uncle's most famed move. It should be perfect for you. It harnesses ki based on the principles of Hado, which is your specialty. I myself was never talented at this move, but I can only imagine it in the hands of you my student."

Ryu's teeth grinded at the remark. Uncle! That man was no relations of his! Demons don't have relations! Oro gripped Ryu tightly by the shoulder.

"You may be considered middle-aged by human standards, yet you still act like a child! If your anger continues on inside you, your master's knowledge, your drive, and my willingness to teach you this technique will all be gone! Your Art cannot reach it's peak while weighted down with such negative emotions! You will never harness this technique with dark thoughts!"

At once Ryu felts ashamed. Was all his training for naught if this anger still burned inside him? So… frustrating! Every knew him as the quintessential Street Fighter, but no one understood Ryu, the man! Lingering thoughts about Chun-Li, the regret from Sakura, the solitude from Ken, and his anger over Gouki! All these things weighted him down, yet he couldn't let go! Ryu's fist slammed hard into the makiwara, and he slumped against it.

"I see. You are not ready to learn this yet. Do not fret, I understand. These problems are not ones you can deal with relying on your fist. But you can still deal with them head on. Deal with your problems, remove all the excess baggage, then come back here. Then I will teach you. Until then, farewell."

Before Ryu could reply, Oro was gone.

(What shall I do now? With sensei refusing to teach me, I cannot improve! I… guess I have no option…)

Ryu was pretty good with dealing with certain situations. Many people would say so, and even the modest one himself. But this was one he was rather unaccustomed to. This one didn't involve fists. This would indeed be a difficult challenge on the Road of the Warrior.

-San Francisco, California

Ryu got off a bus in the middle of the city. It had been a long time. Ryu was never a city kind of guy, but after 15 years of complete solitude? Almost immediately passerby began to stare at Ryu. Ryu traversed through the crowd and headed toward the Master's Estate. Ryu hadn't seen Ken in 15 years. There were so many things to catch up with, and another fight. Ryu licked his lips in anticipation and his muscles tensed. If Ryu savored any of the fights he participated in, it was his fights with Ken. And Sean has no doubt improved, and then there's Ken's son Mel… Ryu quickened his pace. He might be hesitant, but if there is a fight to be had, he was there.

-Masters Estate

Ryu walked up to the automated gate of the Masters Estate.

"Hello, what is your business?"

Ryu jumped a little when the speaker spoke.

"Um… I'm here to see Ken, I'm Ryu remember?

"Oh yeah! What's going on man! It's me, Sean! I'm working gate duty to pay my board! I'll open the gate and tell Ken!"

Ryu grinned and walked through the now open gate. If anything the Masters Estate was even more opulent. Huge Sakura trees dotted the verdant landscape, as well as multiple tennis courts, a horse pasture, and the centerpiece, a beautiful dojo situated on an isolated hill. Then Ryu heard the incoming sound of an engine. A golf cart appeared and stopped by Ryu. In the driver's seat was none other than Ken Masters. Dressed in a red Hawaiian shirt and some khai shorts, Ken looked every bit the playboy he still was, even though he was married.

"Wanna a ride ya old bum? Seriously dude, you thinkin' about a wardrobe change this century?"

Ryu chuckled.

"Same old Ken."

Ryu set his bag in the back and set in the passenger seat. The golf cart sped off toward the mansion.

"So what's been going on for the last 15 years? Training right?"

"Yes. I've been training with Oro, you remember right? I've improved a lot, but I needed to see you before finishing my training."

"I think you mean same old Ryu… jeez, when are you gonna settle down?"

Ryu stared at him.

"Oops, stupid question I guess. Anyways, I've been handling the family business, and training my students to kick your butt."

"Oh really? Has the old man quit fighting? You don't think you can handle me anymore?"

"Quite the contrary, ya old hermit. I'm ready for you anytime pops."

The friends reached the front of the estate, and two familiar faces as well as one unfamiliar one greeted them. The first one he noticed was Ken's wife Eliza. Age had been kind to her, as she looked unchanged since the last time he saw her. She almost exactly the same, the same radiant blonde hair, bright blue eyes, caring smile, and curvaceous figure. The second face belonged to Sean Matsuda. Sean had been a bit of a joke in the last World Warrior Tournament, but in the last ten years had rose to prominence as one of the strongest street fighters. As the current U.S. champ, Sean was merely waiting for the next World Warrior Tournament to prove his worth. The third person was new. The frame of young man in his late teens, a bright red gi, and long blonde hair tied with a red and black tennis headband. No doubt this was Ken's pride and joy, his son, Mel Masters.

Before Ryu had even introduced himself, Mel was already cracking his knuckles and grinning at him. Ryu and Ken had barely got out before Ryu was attacked by the young Masters. He started with a flashy high kick and continued with a tatsumaki senpuu kyaku. Ryu ducked under all the blows and grabbed Mel in the classic over-the-shoulder throw. Before Ken could intervene, Ryu waved his hand, signaling for the fight to continue. Ken smiled and backed away.

"Yep, he's a true Masters. Yo Sean, if you want some pointers, watch this fight. I haven't seen Ryu's style in 15 years you know."

Sean didn't say anything because he was already engrossed in the fight. Mel lept backed on his fight and pressed the offense. A right hook, a shin kick, and a right snap kick. Ryu blocked the hook and rolled with the impact, stopped the kick by stepping forward and cutting off his left foot, and caught the snap kick. Ryu punched Mel's thigh then connected with a left uppercut. Mel staggered back and was reluctant to attack again.

It was Ryu's time to press. He rushed hard with an axe kick that struck Mel clean on the head and sent him into the dirt. Before Mel could even counter attack, Ryu punched him in the chest and connected a high blade leg kick. Mel was on the ropes now. There was only one option now. Mel rushed and unleashed his father's deadliest move. He pulled his leg back in his fierce kick position and let loose a barrage of lightning fast kicks. He knew this one get Ryu. Unfortunately he was mistaken. Ryu guarded all the kicks, sidestepped the knee. Ryu winded back and slugged Mel with a right hook that sent him flying.

"All right! All right! That enough!"

Ken had had enough of his son getting spanked by the lone warrior. Ken rushed to Mel's prone form and checked for any injuries.

"Sheesh Mel, he almost broke your jaw…"

At this Ryu was very worried.

"I… I'm very sorry Ken. I just got into the fight…"

Ken then smacked Mel upside the head and smiled at Ryu.

"No problems! Hell, I couldn't punish this kid if Gouken said to! Good going showing him some manners."

"Umm… okay?"

Ken helped Mel to his feet and together the group entered the Masters Mansion.

"You know Ryu, you really put him in his place. I was thinking about hiring a nanny. You interested?"

"Ken…"

Ken's laughter echoed throughout the halls of the abode.

After a little unpacking and some relaxation, the household came together for dinner. The dinner was pretty good to say the least. Ryu ate like a ravenous dog. After trekking through the wilds of South America and the barren deserts of Mexico, a three course meal tasted pretty good.

"I know I asked you before buddy, but could you tell us in more detail what you've been doing for 15 years?"

"Oooagghuraff"

"Chew then swallow please."

"Whew… okay. I don't have much else to say. I've trained very hard for all these years, and I've gotten much stronger. After the battle with Oro I realized how much farther I had to go, and he offered to train me, so it was a no-brainer. I trust you've kept up as well?"

"Not so much. I'm a teacher now ya know. But if these runts get out of line, the master has to show them how it's done."

At this Sean blinked and grinned.

"If I remember right sensei, I showed YOU last time."

"Pah! You got lucky."

"Hm… How about tomorrow Sean? If you can beat Ken, then a fight with you should be interesting.

Now Sean was excited. He still remembered about how he was trained to be the anti-Ryu, but he was shamed by Ryu's superior skill in the third World Warrior Tournament.

"You got it."

After dinner was done and before retiring to bed, the men decided to watch some tv. There was some interesting wrestling on with the Huge Wresting Army adding another victory to their innumerable sum in New York. They also enjoyed a very intense battle between the leader of the army and an army-type with a bright red bandana. The bandana-wearing one won, and yelled out a challenge to Ryu on tv.

"Sorry bud, no time to go to New York."

Ryu grumbled in disappointment.

-Early next morning

Sean was ready. Lightly perspiring after an equally light warmup, Sean was ready to fight. For the fifteen minutes he had warmed up, Ryu had meditated in the center of the dojo. What frightened Sean was, that when he looked at Ryu closely, he noticed that Ryu had been floating off the ground a few inches. Sean had no idea what kind of power Ryu possessed now, but that certainly wasn't good. Ken, Mel, and Eliza were all sitting on the sidelines for what would be an exciting fight. Mel was sporting a very fashionable mummy getup of bandages from the fight yesterday.

**Ready? **

"Hoo hah! Alright, let's get this fight going!"

"Come at me then."

Fight!

Sean lunged forward and tried to grab a hold of Ryu. Ryu dodged and kicked Sean in the knee. Ryu tried to land a punch but Sean rolled away and connected with a shoryuken. Now Sean's shoryuken was full fledged with only one hand used. Ryu hit the ground and rolled away.

"Very impressive."

Ryu threw a hadoken which Sean blocked and retaliated with a hook which Ryu caught and tripped Sean, then sent him flying with a shoryuken of his own. Sean staggered up and rubbed his jaw. He attacked by sliding at Ryu's feet, but Ryu hopped over it and hit Sean with a punch in the jaw. Sean was on the ground again. Before he could get up Ryu was hauling to his feet and sending repeated punches into his gut then threw Sean over his head and into the ceiling of the dojo. Ryu had only gotten stronger. Luckily Sean landed by a row of basketballs that were essential to his repertoire. He shot one ball at Ryu and lunged forward. Ryu blocked the ball but got caught by Sean. On top, Sean hit Ryu with one hook but Ryu caught the other one and kicked Sean off hard. Sean scrambled to his feet but Ryu was already there. Sean panicked and punched at Ryu. Ryu caught the punch and struck Sean in the armpit, hampering the movement of his right arm. Ryu then put his right foot over Sean's arm and pulled Sean to the ground in an arm bar.

Due to Ryu's aforementioned strength, Sean was practically crying now at Ryu's unmerciful pulling. Luckily for Sean, Ryu let go before anything broke, but that wasn't it. Ryu was in the air now. He raised his foot and came down aiming for Sean's stomach. Sean rolled away just in time. Sean got up and his gaze met dust.

When it cleared he saw Ryu's foot solidly imbedded in the wooden floor. Although Sean was scared at Ryu's freakish strength, Sean knew this was the perfect time to attack as Ryu's mobility was stopped. Sean charged and punched. What Sean didn't expect was for Ryu to completely changed styles on him. Ryu's Anatsuken-Do was based on slow, strong, and elegant moves wich required good spacing. But Ryu just switched styles. Sean's fist was caught and before he knew it a barrage of short and fast Wing-Chun punches hit him in the gut and a karate chop hit im in the neck. (Okay, different plan!)

Sean went into a tatsumaki senpuu kyaku aiming at Ryu's upper body. (Now I've got him!) But Ryu was one step ahead. Using his buried foot as leverage, Ryu leaned back under Sean's first rotation and used some awesome stomach muscle strength to surge back and head butt Sean on the forehead. The sheer force of the blow sent Sean flying into the wall of the dojo. Ryu extracted his foot from the rubble and paced toward Sean. Sean, now very demoralized and surprised chose to defend. Ryu went int his own tatsumaki, yet he did it a fair distance away from Sean. Sean ducked under the kick and brought up his fist. Once more his was surprised as the pure rotation from Ryu's move sent him tumbling. Sean stayed low and ducked the move, but just barely. (God has he gotten strong! Just the wind from that kick caught me off balance!) Sean was tired, but not defeated. He came again in a kyubi kyaku which got Ryu on the forehead but Ryu dashed away before Sean could continue. Sean launched another kyubi, but this time Ryu was prepared. He parried the kick and he went into the horse stance with his hands at his size. The ball of pure blue ki raged in his palms, and he let it loose right into Sean's chest. The explosion was deafening and blinding. Sean's battered form impacted the wall again and a huge spider web of cracks appeared. The fight was over.

When sight and sound returned, Ryu was hauling Sean's unconscious body on his shoulder. Ken and co. ran over to see how Sean was doing and were relieved to find he was alright.

"Jeez Ryu! I'm glad he's breathing! Apparently somebody ate his Wheaties today!"

The party quickly exited the dojo and walked back to the mansion to get Sean in bed.

"I'm sorry if I went too hard, and I'm also sorry for ruining your dojo."

"No problem man. Sean'll be fine in a day or two and I can have that thing repaired in no time."

"By the way, what are Wheaties?"

"Sometimes I forget how weird you are Ryu."

Later that night, Ryu and Ken were relaxing in some lawn chair on the balcony. Now that they were alone, Ryu needed some time to talk with Ken.

"Ken, I want to know something. You see, I've been away for so long and I've wondered how you've felt about me never coming to see you. I'm worried that you might be angry at me for not seeing you for so long."

Ken's face turned very serious and he came right in Ryu's face.

"Ahh… I feel really bad about it…"

Then Ken started laughing. Laughing so hard the whole house and neighbors could hear. Ken laughed so long and loud that Ryu's ears hurt when he stopped.

"Is that what you think Ryu! Boy oh boy you've been watching too much Dr. Phil! You say you'resad about not seeing me, but you're here now right? Come on man, even though you might be gone for a long time, we'll still be tight! God I'm relieved it wasn't something serious!"

Now Ryu began to laugh.

"I'm very glad you are not mad at me. And yeah, I might have been a little too sensitive. But I just had to get that off my chest."

"Whatever. Anyways you wanna play some pool? I'm sure this is meaningful to you Oprah, but I'm bored!"

"Not really. I just want to sit here and think."

"Okay. No problem."

They sat in silence, with nothing but the sound of crickets in the distance. But it wasn't a heavy silence or even a contemplative one. This was one of relief, of getting things of your chest and leaving them there. After a while Ryu spoke again.

"I'm thinking about seeing Chun-Li and Sakura."

Ken almost fell out of his chair when Ryu said this.

"What's up? Have you gotten romatic all of the sudden? And you should know you can't date two girls at a time. And you're like what, 50 now. I'm sorry to say it, but you're getting old dude."

"No no no… nothing like that. I just want to talk to them, like what I did with you. I still have things I need to discuss with them that I've shied away from for too long."

"Well… if you need to talk to them, then you gotta go. You owe them that much."

"You're right. I'll be leaving in the morning then."

"Heh, same old Ryu."

And once more the crickets ruled the air.

-The next morning

Everyone except Sean was standing in front of the gate at Masters Estates giving Ryu a farewell.

"Don't get lost, ya hear!"

"I won't get lost Ken."

Eliza came forward and handed Ryu a basket of something.

"These are cookies I baked and a change of clothes, 'cause frankly Ryu, you still look like a rag picker."

"Thanks… I think?"

Mel stepped forward and raised his fist at Ryu.

"In the next tournament I'll beat you! You just got lucky this time!"

"I see. Train hard and maybe you will. Goodbye everyone!"

"Goodbye!"

Ryu walked into the streets of San Francisco as Sean limped over to the others.

"So he's already left, oh well. I didn't see why he went so serious! I'll be out for a few days with these injuries!"

Ken smiled as Ryu disappeared into the crowd.

"You should be proud. You should be very proud. He didn't pull any punches nor did he let you relax. He fought you seriously.

Author's notes

Whew… procrastination's a bitch huh? I'm really sorry I took so long to write this.(In the Price is Right voice) I've been having too much fun driving my BRAND NEW CAR! Anyways big thanks to Gouki10 for being a dedicated and helpful reader. I hope I didn't disappoint. Please R&R again.

-Tokyo, Japan

The sun shined high in the afternoon position. It was a very warm day at Tamagawa Minami High School. A good day for a fight… or two… or three. Sakura knew today was the day to pick some fights. But not before finishing up at work. See, Sakura was the principal at Tamagawa Minami High School. After putting in years of distinguished service, she was elected as the new principal, much to her dismay. Being the head honcho was great and all, but all that paperwork… Sakura did not like paperwork. But that's what she had a vice principal for. Sakura yawned.

"What a boring day… I should have stayed the P.E. teacher. At least then I could get some exercise. Oh! I got an idea! I'll go see Hinata for some lunch!"

Sakura turned to the clock.

"Hmph… 30 minutes to kill…"

Sakura decided to do her favorite time-killing activity: Walk into classes in the middle of a lesson, sit in the back, and stare at the teachers menacingly. That would get 'em working hard.

"Meh. These jobbers need some incentive!"

Sakura walked into class 401.

"Oh! Gozaimasu Kasugano-san!"

"Hideki."

This was Sakura's favorite teacher. It was his first year, straight out of college, and this guy got scared as hell when any higher-up was supervising. Sakura loved watching him piss his pants for minimum wage. Sakura sat in one of the back chairs and got all stern-like. Hideki Tojo was sweating buckets. After 30 minutes of boring bookwork on logarithmic functions, Sakura wanted to get out of class more than the students. The only things that occupied her was when Hideki tripped on his shoe laces when walking over to her.

"Ummm… Kasugano-San… is there any reason you were in my class?"

"Not really. Just felt like it. Well, I'm going to lunch. Riveting lesson today."

"Oh thank you Kasugano-San! Have a nice lunch!"

After she was clear of Tojo, Sakura scratched her head.

"Sheesh… it's like feeding starving pidgeons…"

-Sweet Symphony Cake Shop

This was the same cake shop Sakura, Hinata, and Natsu would go to every day after school to catch up on things. And if any of them loved it the most, it was Hinata. When the owners went bankrupt and had to close the shop, it was Hinata who bought the shop with all her life's savings and reopened with much of the original staff. Sakura remembered how shocked she was when Hinata told her the news, and Hinata replied:

"I can't let a memory like this one die. I'm overjoyed that I only have to give up mere money to save this memory. I think it's worth it."

And Sakura would have to agree. Not only did Hinata save the shop, but she turned it into a profitable business and meeting place for many non-profit and school groups. Of course much of this was thanks to her devoted husband, Batsu Ichimonji. Burning Batsu was the one who pounded the pavement to advertise the new cake shop. With Hinata and their good friend Kyosuke Kagami balancing the checkbook and maintaining the shop, Batsu went to schools, fairs, and street festivals to get word out about the shop. It so happens that word spread well, and nowadays the shop was lucky to not be packed to capacity. One of those lucky time was at lunch. The bulk of the customers being high school students, Sakura found the shop only half full.

"Hey Hina-Chan! The usual please!"

"Oh hey Sakura! That's shrimp udon and strawberry shortcake?"

"That's the usual!"

When the food was made Hinata sat down with Sakura to take her own lunch break.

"So Hina, how's work?"

"We're just about finished making payments on our house. Gotta make room for the baby!"

Hinata and Batsu had a baby about nine months ago. Since then the only thing Hinata could talk about was her little Hideo. Even Sakura admitted, he was a cute little devil.

"A real one-track mind huh? Anyways, I'm bored. Ya wanna takes some time of and spar?"

"Really? I mean, you've got a job right? Don't tell me you got fired!"

"No no no! I didn't get fired. I just have nothing to do and me being at school isn't going to help. C'mon! I hear Natsu's in town too!"

"Wow! What's going on? Is the volleyball season over?"

In the time it took Sakura and Hinata to reach their jobs, Natsu had gone from rookie phenom to just plain phenom in professional volleyball. She one one huge fish in a very small pond, not mentioning Natsu had sprouted to a height of 6'8. Nary an opponent could get a ball past the long arms of Natsu Ayuhara.

"Yep! We can all have lunch here, just like old times!"

"That's sounds great! I can't get off work now, but maybe we three can meet up later?"

"How 'bout same time, same place?"

"Sounds great! I'll see you guys tomorrow!"

As Sakura left the shop, she noticed that the more things change, the less they do. The uncertainty of college graduation had given way to the same things Sakura experienced in high school. Those four years were the best of her life. And now she was back where she started: the same neighborhood, the same school, the same shop. Sakura was happy to say that whichever things had changed, they had changed for the better. She still had all her childhood friends, and she now spent her life giving kids the wonderful experience she had received almost 20 years ago. School was still boring, but life was pretty good.

-Tamagawa Minami High School

One of the things Sakura had worked hard to introduce into the school curriculum was martial arts. Sakura had gained so much more than strength from the arts, and she couldn't let the new generation go on in life without it. That's why she was out in the fields surrounding the school, leading katas. Clad in a Tamagawa Minami high t-shirt and bloomers, Sakura was glad she could get some exercise and not have to wear her usual drab work attire.

"The basic move is a right hook! Plant the right foot away from the left in a stable position, open the hips, and swing with the right while closing the hips and rotating left! Your right fist should end up near your left shoulder! Let's practice!"

Free-flying petals of grass soared through swing fists, the air currents driving the blades of grass higher and higher. Feet digging into the earth set more in flight, and the process began anew. This was probably what Ryu had loved so much. The solitude, the serenity, and just swinging away, not worrying about anything else. For Sakura, the training was purifying, there was no worrying about papers to sign, or assemblies to schedule, or haggling with cafeteria services. It was nice.

A solitary figure walked through the field of flying leaves. Dressed in a ragged gi and red robe, the figure walked toward the group of students. Ryu, rather than barge in, sat down and watched the class from a distance. The moves were imprecise but the spirit was there. None of these students would walk the path Ryu did, but each had found the heart of what the arts were: serenity. Betterment of the soul through the betterment of the body. It was funny, how kids barely into their teens could discover something it took him so many years of torment to find. He could watch it all day. Were it not for the distant ringing of the bell, the kata would have gone on forever.

"Okay! It's time for lunch! Good work today!"

The students, although reluctantly, left for lunch. Now was Ryu's chance to talk with Sakura. He casually walked into Sakura's view.

"Hah, I knew I felt something familiar. What are you doing here Ryu?"

"Well actually I came here to see you. I'm surprised that you're, well… not surprised!"

"I knew I'd see you again. It was just a matter of time. You know, I'm going to see my friends and have some lunch. Wanna come with?"

"Hmm… I don't know… it will be kind of awkward…"

Before Ryu could do anything Sakura had him in a headlock.

"Awww come on! It'll be lots of fun! And I don't you've had a good meal in a long time! Pleeeaase?"

"Sakuraaaaa…"

-Sweet Symphony Cake Shop

Among the regular humans stood a giant. Natsu Ayuhara, 6'8, entered the cake shop and was promptly bowled over by an overly enthused Hinata Wakaba. After exasperated hellos and a regaling of times past, sat in a booth to wait for the third member of the Axis of School Girl Terror. What they didn't expect was a large, shaggy man to accompany her into the shop. Needless to say, Sakura didn't notice their bewilderment in the least, and began to gab with the girls with the man looking away while scratching the back of his head. After 5 minutes of this, Hinata had to ask.

"Umm… Sakura, who the heck is that?"

"So then I was jumping over the fence when-oh! I forgot to introduce you! You may not remember him, because he FINALLY changed his clothes, but this is Ryu! You remember, right?"

Hinata slapped her forehead and Natsu sat in confusion.

"That guy! Now I remember! But didja have to invite to lunch today? It's kinda sudden ya know."

"Tell me about it. But anyways, make room. This guy's stomach is registering on the Richter Scale."

Lunch passed by fast, the women's voices flowing in and out of Ryu's head, him not noticing any of the conversation. He was like this until he noticed a cream-covered spoon knocking on his head.

"Come on Ryu. We're leaving."

Ryu got up and the group left the shop.

"I've got my shift now so I'll see you guys later.

"Yeah, I've gotta practice before heading back to the hotel."

"Yeah, and I need some alone-time with the Cro Magnon here."

At this Ryu, Hinata, and Natsu blushed very brightly.

"Not that kind of alone time! Geez, you're pervs, all of you! Come on Ryu, you owe me a fight!"

Ryu blush left immediately. He was full and getting bored. It was time to fight. After the three friends departed Sakura led Ryu to the field surrounding Tamagawa.

"You know, I never stopped training since I saw you last. I have achieved mastery in true Anatsuken-Do. And I'm going to show you a few tricks you've never seen before."

Sakura's smile covered her whole face. Her lean muscles twitched and she went into a relaxed stance, feet bouncing.

"You have no idea what mastery is. I am no master myself, but I will show you a little bit of what mastery really is."

The wind thundered and Ryu's robes danced like it was it's own entity. His eyes showed cold blue, and his fists raised, crackling with invisible ki. He breathed slow and calm.

"Hatsuun Jindo…"

Ready?

Fight!

"Hadoken!"

Sakura's hadoken had come from being a small trickle that evaporated after a few feet to a full bodied burst of ki. Ryu sidestepped it easily.

"If you still emulate my style that I used years ago, you will lose."

Ryu's foot cleaved the air rocketing towards Sakura's head. Sakura blocked, rolled with the blow, and her roundhouse met Ryu's shoulder. She rolled away in triumph and the battle was met.

(YES! I got him! How's that for a Tokyo schoolgirl!)

What Sakura didn't notice was Ryu had already shrugged off the blow and came at her unaffected. An uppercut rocked Sakura's jaw and knee in the gut crumpled her into the dirt. She rolled away before Ryu's axe kick landed and cratered the ground.

(Damn! What a monster! And he isn't going easy on me at all!)

"I realize how mistaken I was all those years ago. I treated you like a child, even though you admired me so. I will fix that mistake. I will use all my strength!"

Sakura could barely smile before ducking under Ryu's haymaker. Sakura jammed Ryu's ankle kicked him in the side. Ryu grabbed the kick before it could connect and bodily hurled Sakura ten feet away into the grass. She got up and Ryu was 3 feet away.

"Oh yeah muscle man! How 'bout this! SHO!"

Sakura's rain of fists met solid steel forearms and when shoe rose into the air, she was defenseless.

"Still a little too impertinent I see!"

Ryu was right next to her in an instant and punched her in the gut then turned it into an uppercut. She reeled in midair and Ryu kicked her back to earth. Sakura was on her feet when he landed.

(I won't lose! I can't lose! I have to get out of his shadow! I'll show him respect!)

Sakura's tatsumaki hit Ryu before he could recover. Sakura let fly with a brutal combination of fists and elbows on Ryu's head and shoulder. Some were blocked, but many made contact. Ryu staggered away but as Sakura leaped forward his whole framed tensed. Ryu rolled under Sakura's legs and kicked her left foot out, tripping her.

"SHORYUKEN!"

Ryu's fist crashed into the base of Sakura's head and everything flashed black as she soared.

(Just….one…..more…..)

Sakura got back on her feet and with noticeable labor, charged again. She stopped before making contact and reached for Ryu's guarding arms. She surprised him by pulling his arm away then drilling him in the gut. Sakura exploded with ki and crashed into Ryu with three high-powered shoryukens. Ryu's body crumpled into the ground and Sakura stood triumphant.

(I….did…it….)

Sakura stumbled. She was totally drained and could barely stand. But she wouldn't celebrate for long. The hairs on her leg bristled as Ryu's ki erupted and he got up, as if he wasn't hurt at all. Sakura gaped as the invincible warrior walked up to her as easily as if no fight had occurred. She couldn't resist when Ryu picked her up and carried her through the field, back to the school.

"Good fight."

Sakura was silent. She didn't know what to say. And Ryu wasn't the talkative type. And so they went silently.

"….Why…..why is it always like this? Why am I not good enough… why do you always patronize me!"

Ryu's look was expressionless.

"Because I cared for you. It was love, you were like my little sister. The Dark Hadou had taken over my life, and I pushed you away because I did not want to involved. I was too naïve. And then you saved me from Bison. I still feel like I haven't thanked you for that. I came here because I wanted to see you again, for me and for you."

Sakura had acquired a deep rosy blush.

"…Oh…. Is that it?"

Sakura found her arms unconcioulsy wrapping around Ryu's back. It was the wrong move. Ryu yelped and dumped Sakura right on her rear.

"Oww you big galoot! What was that for!"

"Bu…but you tried to hug me! I said years ago and I'll say it again, it's not like that Sakura!"

"Okay, okay! Just help me up!"

Ryu picked her up and slung her arm around his neck, albeit reluctantly.

"Wha-what you said back there…did you really mean it?"

"Of course I do. If I didn't I wouldn't have come all this way to see you. I had to get it off my chest. I just wish I could have said it sooner."

Sakura had never seen him like this before. He was so…humble, not like the unsure Ryu she had me so long ago. This Ryu was as kind as Mr. Rogers, and could punch a hole through a tank.

"Hm… better late than never I suppose. Thank you, Ryu."

The field was covered in pleasant silence for the rest of the day.

After getting her wounds tended to, Sakura had invited Ryu to stay at her house for the night. After a simple dinner and one-sided pillow fight,(Ryu refused to participate) the Anatsuken warriors went to bed. Sakura in her bedroom, and Ryu on the couch. As Sakura woke up the next morning, she smelled breakfast cooking. She walked dowm the stairs and stared at Ryu while wiping the sleep out of her eyes.

"You can cook?"

"Of course I can. You can't survive as a loner if you can't. Just sit down, it will be done in a minute."

Ryu reached into his rucksack and lifted out bottles of various herbs and spices.

"I found these during training. They make the food taste better and some of these have medicinal properties."

Breakfast consisted of tofu sautéed with the various spices and miso soup. All in all, a very simple breakfast, but the herbs and spice gave the food a very exotic taste. Before she realized it, Sakura had cleaned her plate.

"Wow! That was actually good. You know if you quit fighting, you can always be a chef!"

After breakfast Ryu regaled Sakura with his tales of recent travels, his visit to Ken, and the events along the road to Tokyo. After Sakura showered, she noticed Ryu packing his things.

"Are you leaving?"

"Yes, I am. Sorry to leave on such short notice, but I have to get going."

"Don't worry, I'm used to it. Just visit some other time will you? Please don't go out there and get yourself killed, for me?"

Even though his fight with Gouki loomed ever closer, Ryu answered with confidence.

"I will be back."

Before he could react Sakura was hugging him.

"I'll wait for you. And we'll fight again."

Ryu stepped of the porch and walked down the suburbian sidewalk and into the rising sun. It was the most beautiful sunrise Sakura had ever seen.


End file.
